The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and in particular to electrical contact assemblies for electrical connectors. A wide variety of electronic devices are available for consumers today. Many of these devices have connectors that that facilitate communication with and/or charging of a corresponding device. These connectors often interface with other connectors through cables that are used to connect devices to one another. Sometimes, connectors are used without a cable to directly connect the device to another device, such as a charging station or a sound system.
As smart-phones, media players and other electronic devices become more compact, a limiting factor on the size of a particular device may be one or more of the connectors incorporated into the device. As an example, receptacle connectors are sometimes positioned on one or more of the side surfaces of portable media devices. The thickness of such portable media devices may be limited by the thickness of the receptacle connector or connectors incorporated into the device. Smaller and thinner receptacle connectors may allow the portable media device to be designed smaller. Since such receptacle connectors typically include contacts positioned within an insertion cavity that is sized to hold a corresponding plug connector, there is a desire to have the mating plug connector smaller and thinner as well. Some plug connectors, such as a standard USB 2.0 connector, include a metal shield that surrounds the plug connector contacts forming a cavity in which the contacts are positioned. The shield may provide some level of protection against electrical interference but adds to the overall thickness of the portion of the plug connector that is inserted into the receptacle.
New connectors that such as the external contact connector just described as well as other connectors, may require new features and/or changes to commonly used connector components to be manufactured to more precise tolerances associated with the smaller size and to withstand the rigors of everyday use over multiple thousands of use cycles.